CWA Blog Archive-Risk Management In Routesetting

Risk Management In Routesetting

Pdf Summary

Routesetting is both creative and strategic, and Jess Malloy argues that learning to set efficiently and risk-averse produces a better product and supports longevity in a physically demanding profession. To ground the piece, she gathered input from multiple head setters on how they build risk management into their teams. The recurring theme is that good training creates good climbs. Experienced head setters prioritize risk management and efficiency from a new setter's first day. Hayley Zumwalt, a USAC Level 3 setter, sets the standard with a written staff training plan that includes a professional development pathway, a guide outlining what a setter should focus on at months one, three, six, and a year and beyond. That structure lets beginning setters set goals and progress at their own pace while keeping risk management central. After seven years of setting, Zumwalt still treats it as a priority for her teams. Teaching movement matters, but the basics come first, and establishing that foundation sets the tone for each setter to pursue their own goals while managing risk to the whole team. The environment matters too. Zumwalt suggests that the culture a setter works in shapes how seriously risk is taken, and a team that treats fundamentals and safety as baseline expectations reinforces good habits in everyone. The article, aimed at senior managers and setters at all levels, functions as an intermediate dive into risk management protocols, showing managers how to build them and setters how to implement them individually and as a team. Malloy points to the CWA's Routesetting Guide for current best practices. The core message: deliberate training and a strong safety culture are what make setting both better and sustainable.

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Routesetting is creative and strategic, and Jess Malloy shows how good training makes it safer and more sustainable. Head setters like Hayley Zumwalt use written development plans mapping focus areas at months one, three, six, and beyond, keeping risk management central from a setter's first day.